Until the Very End
by WeasleySeeker
Summary: 26 letters; 26 drabbles. Various pairings. Featuring: Ron/Hermione, Katie/Oliver, Harry/Ginny, Andromeda/Rabastan, Neville/Luna, Rose/Scorpius, Bellamort, Draco/Astoria, George/Angelina, Remus/Tonks, Dominique/Scorpius, Daphne/Theo, Ginny/Seamus, Lily/James, Bill/Fleur, Ted/Andromeda, Lucius/Narcissa, Neville/Ginny
1. RonHermione: abeyance

_**abeyance (n.): the condition of being temporarily set aside; suspension.**_

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Ron wished that they could go back to the way they were at Hogwarts. Him, Harry and Hermione. Everything was so simple, so constant. Harry and Ron would joke and laugh, leaving Hermione aside to get on with her studies. They even laughed about it, although Ron secretly found it adorable; she wouldn't be Hermione without her nose in a book.

But now that they had left Hogwarts and were on the run, hunting Horcruxes, things were different. The sight of Hermione buried inside a book should have been comforting to Ron. A sign that some things hadn't changed. But they had. Everything had changed.

Now Ron was the one who would be left in abeyance while Harry and Hermione had their intelligent conversations, shared their theories. _Their theories that never came to anything_, Ron itched to point out. He was never consulted even when the others' ideas failed. He was just Ron Weasley, the clumsy, stupid sidekick. Who was he compared to the _Chosen One_?

Hermione would never notice him.

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**A/N: This is the first of my twenty-six drabbles; one for each letter of the alphabet. For the Alphabet Challenge on HPFC. There will be a different pairing every chapter. Some will be angsty, some fluffy, some funny. I hope you enjoy them! Reviews are much appreciated. ****The title isn't really related... but I chose it because not only is it one of my favourite quotes of the series, but also because I intend to reach "the very end" of the alphabet. :D**

**I'm not saying this every chapter, otherwise the A/N gets longer than the drabble, but... Disclaimer: I am clearly not J K Rowling, so I own none of this.**


	2. KatieOliver: bombard

**_bombard (v.): to assail persistently, as with requests._**

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"Katie, will you just _stop talking_?" Angelina begged exasperatedly, on the walk back to the changing rooms after a particularly exhausting training session, which had wiped them all out. Except Katie, who seemed to be unaffected.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "I don't mean to! Once I start talking, I can't stop... it's better than the awkward silence!"

Alicia snorted as she limped along beside Katie. "At least if there was awkward silence, we wouldn't be expected to contribute!" Harry nodded his agreement; he was practically unable to speak from breathlessness.

"Honestly," Fred panted, "your voice has been like a constant buzz all the way back from training."

"More than a buzz," George exclaimed, clutching a stitch in his side. "You've been _bombarding_ us with questions that we can't answer; we can barely speak!"

"Oliver, you're the captain," Harry puffed. "Surely you can give her some sort of _order_ to stop talking?"

Oliver looked alarmed. "_Me_?" He hesitated and was then bombarded himself by glares from his team. "Okay, okay," he said reluctantly; he would never admit it to them, but he found Katie's monologues quite endearing. "Katie, be quiet."

There was a blissful silence for a minute. The team heaved sighs of relief.

But then Katie resumed. "But seriously, guys, if we want to beat Ravenclaw next week -"

"SHUT UP!" roared five angry voices. Oliver just laughed.

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**A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews are love.**


	3. HarryGinny: chaos

**_chaos (n.): a state of utter confusion or disorder; a total lack of organisation or order._**

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"Remind me never to let James have friends round again," said Ginny faintly, as she and Harry observed the trail of destruction left by eight-year-old James and his best friend, Connor Finnigan.

"_Please_ can I play?" Albus begged.

"No," James snapped. "You're too young, you won't understand this game."

"But _James_!" Albus protested, and Harry, instead of giving in to the overwhelming desire to burst out laughing, thought, from the pleading look Ginny was giving him, that it was time to intervene.

"James, be nice to Al, please," said Harry sternly. "Don't leave him out."

"Okay," James agreed reluctantly. "Come on, Connor, let's play outside." And they ran out, without waiting for Albus, which earned them another whine from him. Harry was sure that they would just resume the chaos outside.

"They remind me of Fred and George teasing Ron," Harry reminisced.

Sadness flickered across Ginny's face. "It's never going to go away, is it, Harry?" she whispered. "The pain, from the war. Sometimes, even after all this time, I feel it just when I say their names."

Harry watched his sons' content faces out of the window. "But it's not like that any more, Gin," he said soothingly. "Look at them. They're happy."

"I know," Ginny sighed. "I just can't help thinking -"

"It's okay, I understand," said Harry reassuringly. He stroked Ginny's heavily pregnant belly. "We don't have to name this one after anyone if you don't want. She can be unique."

Ginny thought for a moment and then shook her head. "No. We have to call her Lily."

Joy took over Harry's face. "I love you, Gin," he said, kissing her softly. "You know how much that means to me."

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**A/N: Whoops, it got a bit longer than I intended... never mind. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far; more would be much appreciated :)**


	4. AndromedaRabastan: destructive

**_destructive (adj): tending to destroy; causing destruction or much damage._**

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As usual, Andromeda Black was waiting up in the Slytherin Common Room for her boyfriend, Rabastan Lestrange, to return. He _apparently_ had a detention, but detentions didn't normally last until two in the morning, did they? She didn't know what to think. She could feel her fellow Slytherins' smirks as the last few sixth-year girls made their way up to their dorm and left Andromeda alone in the common room to think.

Why did she stay with him? There were so many times that he had lied to her, even cheated on her, and she forgave him every time. Why? Well, he pleased her parents, which was getting increasingly difficult to do these days. But it wasn't just that. She found him intensely attractive, and _exciting_ to be around. She couldn't deny that he made her heart race. But she was pretty sure that he was becoming involved with the Death Eaters. She couldn't live with that. Especially when he had promised her that he would stay away. She didn't want to spend her life under his rule. He was _dangerous_ to her.

He arrived back with the usual crowd, the _Death Eater_ crowd. He opened his mouth to speak. "Andromeda, I -"

She didn't let him finish. "I've had enough of this, Rabastan. The lying, the cheating. You're _destructive_. It's over."

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**A/N: I found myself wanting to write more for this one, so I might convert it into a one-shot sometime. Hope you liked it!**


	5. NevilleLuna: enigmatic

**_enigmatic (adj): difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious._**

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Enigmatic was his favourite word for her. He'd heard other words used for her, often derogatory - _the weird one, the crazy one, loony Luna_ - but none of them ever did her justice. She was different, yes, but Neville thought that was what made her so amazing. You could never predict what she would do next.

She gave him confidence; when Luna was around, Neville had far less trouble worrying what others would think of him. He could just relax and be himself, because that was what Luna did all the time. She would never judge him, which was also the reason why she was so easy to talk to. He could confide in her, and she could help him, because she really _understood_ people, and she could give brilliant advice, because she was so caring and honest.

And he just loved to watch her. He loved to watch those bright inquisitive eyes light up when she smiled, watch her fiddle with her innocent, long blonde curls, watch her check the air for Wrackspurts, whatever those were. He still didn't understand. He got too easily distracted watching her mesmerising facial expressions whenever she tried to explain them to him.

In fact... Neville might go so far as to say he loved her. But he didn't want to tell her. He didn't want to risk their friendship.

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**A/N: I can never make my mind up about this pairing. I always like to think they got together briefly after the end of DH, just because it's so adorable. But I think maybe they would be better as friends. And Rolf does sound like he was made for Luna, so...**

**Anyway, I would love it if you left me a little review, just to let me know you're reading - it only takes a second. Thanks to everyone who has already done so. :)**


	6. RoseScorpius: fantasy

_**fantasy (n): the faculty or activity of imagining things that are impossible or improbable.**_

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"We should tell everyone, you know," said Scorpius, as he and Rose lay hand-in-hand on the dewy grass under the beech tree in the deserted Hogwarts grounds, the early morning sun surrounding them.

Rose sighed. "You know why we can't, Scorp," she said gently. "This is reality. Things have happened in the past between our families that nothing can erase. There will always still be bitterness between them. They will never accept it; they might pretend to, but in reality they never will."

"But it's not fair!" he exclaimed frustratedly. "I love you, Rose, and I want everyone out there to know it. We can't hide forever!"

"I know, Scorpius," she said soothingly. "But we don't have to think about the future. Just focus on now."

Rose was the practical one, the realistic one. But she didn't tell Scorpius that she _was_ imagining the future, that she liked to fantasise as much as he did. She pictured a long, traditional white wedding gown, a pretty little house with a beautiful garden, a plethora of little children toddling around. But she didn't dwell on it for too long. She knew it could never happen. They could never be a _conventional_ couple.

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**A/N: First Scorrose I've written in AGES! This is dedicated to everyone on the RoseScorpius Fans forum because I love them all to bits - they brighten my day, and I hate that I have to leave them, even though it's only temporary. ****(Also, by the way, I _do_ think that Rose and Scorpius's families would accept them - they fought for a better world where their children could have freedom. But Rose is meant to be quite young in this, and therefore she's naive and isn't great at predicting what her parents will think.)**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far!**


	7. RonHermione: glow

**_glow (n.): a steady radiance of light or heat._**

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Suddenly, the TV and the lights extinguished, plunging Mr and Mrs Granger's living room into darkness.

"Oh great, a power-cut," Ron groaned, reaching for his wand. "_Lumos_."

Hermione smiled, reminiscing, and looked over at her parents. "Do you remember when I was little, and you had to go rummaging around in the darkness for candles and matches whenever there was a power-cut?"

"Of course, the dark terrified you," her father laughed. "It would have been so much easier with magic!"

Hermione froze. "Rosie! She's petrified of the dark!" She ran up the stairs to the spare room, where two-year-old Rose was sleeping.

There was a moment's silence, and Ron worried that something was wrong, then Hermione crept down the stairs. "Ron, come on, you have to see this," she whispered urgently. She took his hand, and led him upstairs to peer into Rose's room.

Rose was singing herself to sleep, a warm golden glow surrounding her.

"She did that herself?" Ron asked incredulously. Hermione nodded. From that moment, they knew that they would one day have an extremely talented daughter.

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**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I love to hear from you! Oh also, if anyone has any requests for future pairings, just shout and I might just be inspired! :)**


	8. Bellamort: hell

**_hell (n.): the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death; the abode of evil and condemned spirits; a spiritual realm of evil and suffering._**

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"You're going to hell, Bellatrix Lestrange!" the man screamed as she tortured him into insanity.

She just laughed. Oh, there was nothing that equalled the thrill she got from torturing people. No, she didn't think of them as _people_. They were worthless; they were nothing. She had _power _over them. Being a woman in her society, there were not many other situations in life that she had complete, ultimate control over. But the fate of these - these _animals?_ That was down to her.

She could choose to have mercy, to kill them quickly, or she could use her power; she could mess with their heads, play games with them, inflict pain on them before she killed them. She always chose the latter option.

If there was such a place as hell, so be it. If Bellatrix was going to hell, the Dark Lord certainly would be too. So it would be heaven to her.

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**A/N: Umm I think I have to up the rating for this, not really K+ is it? ;) I'm going through an angsty phase at the moment...**

**Anyway, thanks to my reviewers, and again, if you have any requests, don't hesitate to ask!**


	9. DracoAstoria: illuminate

**_illuminate (v.): to supply or brighten with light; light up._**

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His life was dark, and it seemed like there was no way out.

His father was in Azkaban; the Malfoy name was mud; he had been assigned a seemingly impossible task that he would be severely punished for failing. By the time the year was over, he would either find himself a murderer or dead - and probably, the rest of his family would be there with him. There was no light at the end of the tunnel.

But there was her. In the past, he hadn't paid her much attention; he had only ever thought of her as "Daphne's little sister". But now she was _Astoria_, and she was funny, and she was pretty, _and_ she was intelligent. There weren't many Slytherins that he could have intelligent conversations with - Crabbe and Goyle were really beginning to irk him. But Astoria could brighten his day. She could illuminate those short bursts in his life, that, somehow, made the darkness more bearable.

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**A/N: Sort of a spin-off of Hero but set in 6th year instead of 7th year, but I don't really care. Thank you to Vicky (incandescent dreams) who happened to be online while I was writing this and answered my emails which basically said "OMG, HELP ME, WHAT IS A SENTENCE? WHY DOESN'T THIS MAKE SENSE?"**

**Leave a review and tell me what you thought. :)**


	10. GeorgeAngelina: jigsaw

**_jigsaw (n.): a puzzle consisting of a mass of irregularly shaped pieces that form a picture when fitted together._**

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George was broken after Fred's death. It wasn't just like there was a piece of the jigsaw missing - it was like half the puzzle was lost, leaving gaping holes in the picture. There were good days; there were clumps of the puzzle that were all there. But there were others that he thought he could never get back.

"I don't know who I am, any more, Angelina," he confessed, and Angelina's heart melted at the lost look in his eyes. "I'm nobody, not without him. Everybody preferred Fred. It was always _Fred and George._ Not George and Fred. He was what made me _somebody_."

Angelina shook her head. "You know that's not true, George," she said quietly.

"But -"

She cut him off. "Stop, George. Just stop." Then she reached for his face and kissed him slowly; softly.

George looked taken aback when they broke apart.

"I didn't prefer Fred," she told him. "It was always you. You were meant to be identical, but I could always tell you apart. The extra freckle on your ear," she said, stroking it. "I know you feel alone without Fred," she continued. "I know it feels like there are bits missing. But you'll always have the memories."

Angelina vowed to be the one to fix George if it was the last thing she did.

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**A/N: *curls up and cries in corner***

**This chapter was for the First Kiss Challenge. :)**


	11. RemusTonks: kaleidoscope

**_kaleidoscope (n.): a constantly changing pattern or sequence of objects or elements._**

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****Remus loved her. He'd known that from the start. But he thought he would have been able to resist, to detach himself from those emotions, like he'd always been able to in the past. Because it was so easy for him to hurt people.

But with Tonks, it was different. He needed her, no matter how hard it was for him to admit. It wasn't only her hair that was like a kaleidoscope - her personality, being around her, was exciting, colourful. And Remus needed that break from the monotone that was his life, and had been ever since he left Hogwarts and his world was torn apart.

She needed him, too. She'd been withdrawn, flat, ever since she had confessed her love for him and he had just sent her away. And he saw her clumsiness worsen every day - previously he had found it endearing, but now it was just another sign to him that no matter how bubbly and sparky she could be, no matter how talented she was, she needed protecting. He wished endlessly that _he_ could be the one to protect her, that he could be strong, dependable. But no matter hard he tried to be like that most of the time, on the night of the full moon, he could never be that person.

"She's stronger than you think, you know, Remus," Molly had said.

But was _he_ strong enough to live with the thought of what he could do to her? He just didn't know.

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**A/N: Ajghlshlhg sorry, another angsty one. Hope you enjoyed :) You know the drill.**


	12. DominiqueScorpius: longing

_**longing (n.): strong, persistent desire or craving, especially for something unattainable or distant.**_

* * *

Scorpius hated himself for doing it to her. He hated that he had strung her along all these years. He hated that every second he was with Dominique was spent longing for another beautiful redhead: Rose, her _cousin_, nonetheless. And he hated that he didn't have the guts to tell either of them.

Because he knew that it would be devastating, _humiliating_ for Dominique. Of course it would be. They had been to countless weddings together - all their school friends; Dominique's plethora of cousins _(but not Rose)_ - and Scorpius never missed that expectant look when the couple kissed for the first time as husband and wife - _is he finally going to ask me?_ And he never missed the look of disappointment, exasperation, when he didn't.

They'd been together for so long. It would look weird if they broke up _now_, out of the blue, with their relationship going as steadily as it ever had. Dominique would want some explanations. And then, inevitably, she would hate Rose for it. Scorpius didn't want that. He didn't want to damage their family.

He wished he could just propose to Dominique and forget about Rose. But it wasn't that easy. Dominique was equally beautiful, but she just didn't have that personality, that _fire_, that Rose had in bundles. And Dominique didn't deserve to live her life wondering why Scorpius was so distant, so withdrawn, wondering what she had done, when in fact it was beyond her control.

He wanted to run away to somewhere where nobody would know who he was, somewhere where Dominique could never find him, where he couldn't hurt her. But maybe that would be even more hurtful than knowing the truth. She at least deserved the chance of moving on.

He needed to act quickly. Rose was blossoming, beautiful as ever, and it wouldn't be long before some other guy would snap her up, and she would be out of Scorpius's reach forever.

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**A/N: Sorry I took so long updating!**

**This chapter is also for the Break Up Challenge on HPFC. :)**


	13. DaphneTheo: mellifluous

_**mellifluous (adj.): sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.**_

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The war was over, and for the first time in... well, a long time, the sun had come up and was shining, really shining, and the birds were singing mellifluously. There were all those clichéd signs of new birth, and yet Daphne and Theo didn't know where they stood.

They weren't even involved in the war, per se. But just by being Slytherins, by doing nothing, by letting it happen, they were apparently in the wrong. What they were _supposed_ to have done, they didn't know. How were two seventeen-year-olds supposed to have stood up to Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters? And how could they have abandoned their family, their friends, without having that worry on their shoulders every day and every night, not to mention being killed as traitors?

The Light Side were supposed to be reasonable. They were supposed to be the _noble_ ones, the ones who did the right thing. What would they think of people like Daphne and Theo? Because they _hadn't_ just switched sides when it was convenient, when it kept them out of trouble. They had just done what they could in the circumstances.

"What's going to happen to us?" Daphne whispered, a tear streaking down her cheek at the uncertainty of what their life would be like from that point onwards.

"I don't know," Theo murmured, cradling her in his arms and stroking her hair soothingly. "I don't know. But I'm here for you."

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**A/N: Okay this is sort of cheating because I did this for Drabble Tag on the RoseScorpius Fans forum (so I was given the pairing), but the prompt conveniently began with 'm', so... ;)**

**OMG this is chapter 13! I'm halfway there! Reviews would be lovely. :)**


	14. GinnySeamus: nickname

**A/N: Before you read this, I feel the need to inform you that this was written for a dare ;) It was for Truth or Dare on HPFC. **

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_**nickname (n.): a familiar or humorous name given to a person or thing instead of or as well as the real name.**_

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As with every post-Quidditch victory party, the common room was ablaze with scarlet and gold shapes and the team were in the middle, objects of the glory.

"Nice one, Ginger!" a slightly tipsy Seamus called as he strode through the crowd, Firewhiskey in hand.

"Oi!" Ginny protested, swatting a hand at him playfully. "Don't call me that! I have a name."

"Yeah, but you love me, so I'm allowed to have an affectionate nickname for you," he called over his shoulder teasingly as he moved further away.

Ginny wondered for a minute what it would be like if that were true; if she really loved Seamus. She was sick of Dean, of their static relationship and of all the bickering. She wished she could find a way out. Maybe getting with his best friend would be a good way of doing it. Dean would never want to speak to her again, would he? But Seamus would not really do that to his best friend.

Slumping down into an armchair and beginning to drown herself in Firewhiskey, Ginny just wished that the guy she really wanted would notice her. But she knew that it would never happen. He was the Boy Who Lived, or the Chosen One or whatever they called him these days. She was just his best friend's little sister. She didn't stand out enough to attract the attention of someone like him.

She could see Seamus's drunkenness increasing and he became part of the atmosphere as he began dancing wildly. As Ginny herself began to get progressively less sober, a realisation came upon her: he really was quite attractive. And Irish. What more could you want?

Reaching the point where she was unable to walk straight, she went up behind Seamus and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Call me Ginger any time you want," she slurred, and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips. He was too drunk to know not to kiss back.

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**A/N: And a special mention to Iridescent Bookworm, who made me post this here because "crazy is the new black." - see I quoted you, Booky, your dreams have been realised! ;)**


	15. Bellamort: ostentatious

_**ostentatious (adj.): marked by or fond of conspicuous or vainglorious and sometimes pretentious display.**_

* * *

Bellatrix smirked and tossed the letter into the fire. Even the parchment it was on seemed over the top: it was cream coloured, covered in extravagant handwriting, and the thickness of it left nobody in any doubt about the quality. The flames curled around it, eating it up, and Bellatrix watched in satisfaction.

"Hey! What if I wanted to read that?" Rodolphus protested, having just entered the room.

Bellatrix snorted. "You wouldn't. It's just an invitation to _another_ ball of Lucius's. I'm sure he'll send us about six more before the time comes."

"Oh. Well it's not like you would have cared if I _had_ wanted to read it," Rodolphus muttered bitterly.

Bellatrix carried on speaking, almost to herself, as if Rodolphus hadn't said anything. "How can Lucius really think that all these... these ostentatious parties will make the Dark Lord notice him? The Dark Lord doesn't care for such frivolity," she said scathingly. "Lucius will have to think of something better if he really wants to please him."

Smirking again, Bellatrix contented herself with the knowledge that _she_ could please the Dark Lord in a way that none of the others could.

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**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I've just had so many other things to write recently! But I should be updating more now - I want to get this finished off soon. :)**


	16. RonHermione: persuade

**_persuade (v.): cause someone to do something through reasoning or argument._**

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"Please?" Ron pleaded yet again.

"No," said Hermione firmly. "I've got this campaign meeting on Monday. I've got work to do for it. I can't just go swanning off to the Caribbean for three days because you _fancy a break. _Besides, where will we get the money from?"

"Hermione, you're exhausted," Ron told her gently. "It's _you_ who needs a break. I'm pretty sure you haven't had time off in about two years."

Hermione bit her lip. That bit was true. She'd just been trying so hard to make an impression on her new boss, and she did feel guilty about prioritising work over Ron so much. "I know, but this meeting is important," she said fretfully. "It might have a huge bearing on whether I get the Head of Department job any time in the near future. And you still didn't tell me where the money's coming from," she added accusingly.

"I've got some saved up," he told her evasively. "Listen, I just think you need to forget the job for a while and start thinking about _you_. Can't you change the meeting?"

"Of course I can't change the meeting," she said scathingly, rolling her eyes. "I may be head of the campaign, but I'm not as important as the people I'm pitching to. I can't inconvenience them. Not all of our jobs are as flexible as yours," she shot at Ron.

Ron took a deep breath. Hermione wasn't easy when she was in these moods, but he was learning to be patient with her. "Sorry," he apologised hastily. "But, Hermione, the thing is - I wasn't going to tell you this, it was going to be a surprise, but... after September, I... I won't be working at the joke shop anymore."

Hermione blinked. "What?"

Ron grinned like a little boy in a toy shop. "I got a place for Auror training! I mean," he gabbled, "don't get me wrong, I love working at the shop, but George has got a good grasp on it by himself now, and I thought I'd apply just to see what happened, and... they want me!" He paused, looking at Hermione expectantly, but she was still staring at him, stunned. "They gave me an advance payment, so I thought the holiday would be a nice way to celebrate. But we can always go some other time, I mean it's no big deal -"

Hermione cut him off by kissing him passionately. "I'll change the meeting," she promised. "I mean... wow, Ron! I'm so, so proud of you."

Ron beamed. As much as he loved her, he sometimes felt as though he lived in Hermione's shadow. But he was _good_ at this Auror stuff. Maybe he could get a high-flying career just as easily as she could.

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**A/N: A longer one for you this time because I'm in the mood for fluff. :)**


	17. LilyJames: questionable

_**questionable (adj.): causing doubt; not certainly true or honest or advisable.**_

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Sighing at the prospect of spending Christmas with her hostile sister, Lily dragged her trunk down the girls' staircase. Her friends had gone down already, but Lily had remained behind, pretending she'd forgotten something. She wanted some time to think.

She reached the bottom and started. James Potter was waiting in the common room, alone. That was weird. He was rarely seen without his Marauder pals.

"Hey," he said nervously, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"What do you want?" Lily demanded, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I'm not going to ask you out, in case you're wondering," he said quickly. Lily noted that he hadn't actually asked her out all year - maybe he was finally getting the message. "I just... wanted to give you this," he said, producing what looked like a Christmas present from behind his back.

Lily blinked. "Why?" she asked stupidly, just staring at his hand as he held it out to her.

"It's a present, Lily," James told her, rolling his eyes. "It's _nice_ to give people presents at Christmas. I don't always have questionable motives, you know," he said, looking rather offended. "I just thought... since we've got to know each other so well since being Head Boy and Head Girl I should get you something."

She took the package from him warily. Unable to ignore her curiosity, she ripped the paper off.

"Hey, you're meant to wait until Christmas!" James protested, but it was too late. Lily had removed the paper to reveal a Chocolate Frog. "It's not much," James said apologetically.

Lily stared at it. A Chocolate Frog. Nothing fancy. She liked it. "So a Chocolate Frog really isn't guy language for 'will you marry me?'" she asked cautiously.

"No, no," James said quickly. "I just knew you liked them, that's all."

Lily bit her lip. "I didn't get you anything," she confessed guiltily.

"It's okay," he assured her. "I didn't expect you to." There was an awkward silence; Lily wasn't quite sure if that was good or bad. "Well, I'd better..." James said eventually, gesticulating up at the boys' staircase. "Have a nice holiday!"

"And you," Lily smiled, still slightly amazed that they'd managed a whole conversation without him asking her out.

_Just when I thought I'd figured him out_, she thought as she watched his retreating figure, shaking her head.

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**A/N: I wrote Jily for the first time earlier today and really enjoyed it, so I decided to have another shot at it. Hope you liked it! :)**


	18. HarryGinny: revitalise

_**revitalise (v.): give new strength or vitality to.**_

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"I don't think I can do this anymore," Harry sighed to himself. He didn't think his spirits had ever been lower. They'd been stuck in that tent for months now. They hadn't made the slightest bit of progress for weeks - they had a Horcrux, but they had no idea how to destroy it, so they might as well not have had it at all for all the good it did. And now Ron was gone, and all that Harry and Hermione had to occupy themselves was the endless, winding, twisting puzzle of how to destroy Voldemort. They had the future of the whole Wizarding world resting on their shoulders, and Harry felt like they were failing.

Itching for something to occupy them, Harry's hands automatically sought out the Marauder's Map. He hadn't bothered to wipe it clean after the last use; there was no point, nobody was here to see it now. Harry searched among the crawling, ant-like ink dots for the one that mattered the most.

There it was - _Ginevra Weasley._ All the buzzing in Harry's head seemed to come to a stop. Just the sight of that tiny dot was enough to revitalise him. It reminded him what he was fighting for.

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**A/N: I just want to say how stunned I am by how many reviews this is getting - over 80 and there are still eight chapters to go! I never imagined this would be so popular. I know I've been really bad at replying lately but that doesn't mean I appreciate your reviews any less. Seriously, they make me walk around grinning like an idiot for the rest of the day. So THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. :)**


	19. BillFleur: serene

**_serene (adj.): calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil._**

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"I wish we could stay 'ere forever, Bill," Fleur sighed, as they lay peacefully side by side in the sand. The serene quality of the secluded beach was comforting; it was so easy to just forget the war and everything that was going on outside their immediate surroundings. The rhythmic sound of the waves rolling in and out was so constant, so calming, so different from the panicked atmosphere from the end of the wedding, when everyone was fleeing in terror from the Death Eaters. In a place like this, it really did feel like they were the only two people in the world.

Bill grinned. "Well, in that case, I have a surprise for you," he said, his voice barely able to contain his eagerness. "We're not just here for our honeymoon."

"What?" He couldn't mean what she thought he meant... surely not...

"I bought the cottage!" Bill burst out excitedly. He watched nervously for Fleur's reaction.

Fleur was in shock. She couldn't believe it. She had adored staying there; it was the house of her dreams. "But Bill... 'ow did you get ze money?" she managed to stammer out.

"Don't worry about that," was all he said.

For once, Fleur was speechless. So she kissed him. She didn't need words.

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**A/N: These drabbles are good for me - I'm running out of pairings I normally write and trying to avoid recycling too many of them, so they're getting me to write pairings I like, but normally not enough to write. It's fun! Hope you liked it. :)**


	20. TedAndromeda: thrilling

_**thrilling (adj.): producing sudden, strong, and deep emotion or excitement.**_

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Andromeda was a hopeless romantic. And she found it so thrilling to think that, for once in her life, she was breaking the rules.

_Run away with me, Ted, _she'd said breathlessly. _Just the two of us. Then we won't have to hide any more._

He'd asked her what about her family, and she'd hesitated. She wasn't going to pretend that it didn't hurt to leave her family. She loved them, and they only did what they thought was best for her. But she couldn't put up with their warped, old-fashioned views for a second longer. She loved her family, but the love she felt for Ted was so much more deep, more all-consuming, and she didn't think she could stay away from him for much longer.

_You're my family now_, she'd said, and it sounded cheesy, but she didn't care. They were going to walk off into the distance, together, and neither of them would ever look back.

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**A/N: I can't believe this story is almost finished! And I'm almost at 100 reviews, THANK YOU SO MUCH. :D Hope you liked this one!**


	21. LuciusNarcissa: unimportant

_**unimportant (adj.): lacking in significance or value.**_

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"So, how was the meeting?" Narcissa asked casually, closing the door behind them as they entered the deserted room.

"Fine," Lucius replied distractedly, not looking his fiancée in the eye. "Listen... we have to postpone the wedding."

Narcissa's expression didn't change; her brain refused to take in what he had said. "What?" she whispered. She'd known that something was wrong the moment he arrived on the doorstep and told her parents that he needed to speak to her in private. But she'd told herself everything was fine, thought through every possible scenario, every possible explanation. She had to do that a lot.

"You heard," Lucius said, uncharacteristically gently. "The Dark Lord needs me for something."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Narcissa felt tears burning at her eyes but refused to let them fall. "But... but... we've had this planned for months..."

"I know," he said, looking almost guilty. "But we'll get married one day, I promise."

"But... think about how long it took to find this date. We won't be able to get another one for at _least_ a few months. We've waited long enough as it is!" she stammered. "Can't you get him to -"

"Don't be a fool, Narcissa," Lucius snapped, interrupting her, suddenly angry. "I can't question him. If the Dark Lord requires my services, he requires them. To him, anything else is unimportant."

Narcissa sighed in defeat. Lucius told her he loved her, and maybe she was being irrational, but sometimes it seemed like she was unimportant to him, too.

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**A/N: Another pairing that I haven't really given much thought to before, so as always I'd love to hear what you think!**

**Alsoooo... over 100 reviews AAAHHH! Thank you all so much! This is the first story I've reached 100 on :D**


	22. KatieOliver: vulnerable

**_vulnerable (adj.): susceptible to physical or emotional injury._**

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She'd hardly crossed his mind since he left school. He'd always had a soft spot for her - she was one of those people who had the determination and the kind of work ethic that every captain would love. Sometimes he'd even find himself taking his eye off the game to watch her fly; she wore this utterly content expression on her face, and it really seemed like there was nowhere she'd rather be. But now he was Oliver Wood, promising new recruit at Puddlemere United. He had more things to think about than mere schoolgirls.

That all changed when he saw her name in the paper. She'd been attacked. Oliver felt the anger rising up inside him. They were disgusting, those Death Eaters. Of all the people they could have tried to murder, they'd chosen someone like Katie, someone so innocent, so hardworking, with such a beautiful personality.

She just wouldn't leave his thoughts after that. So he decided to do something crazy: visit her at St Mungo's.

It was the right thing to do; as soon as he entered the ward and saw her lying there, so weak, so vulnerable, he knew that he loved her. He wanted to protect her.

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**A/N: I love this pairing :3 Alksajhjkh only 4 chapters to go!**


	23. NevilleGinny: waltz

_**waltz (n.): a dance in triple time performed by a couple who as a pair turn rhythmically around and around as they progress around the dance floor.**_

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Dancing lessons? With _McGonagall_? Most of the Gryffindor boys found the idea laughable. But Neville hung on her every word. This was the one night of his life where he didn't want to make a fool of himself.

He still couldn't believe she'd said yes, that he was going to the Yule Ball with Ginny Weasley, one of the prettiest girls in Gryffindor. (A small part of his brain told him that she'd only said yes because she felt sorry for him, or because she was only in third year and wouldn't have got to go otherwise. Why would someone so confident, funny and beautiful be interested in someone like him? But he tried to ignore it.)

He'd plucked up the courage and asked her, and it had paid off. For one night, he didn't have to be Neville the stupid one, Neville the timid one, Neville the forgetful one. For one night, he had the chance to shine.

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**A/N: I have no idea why I just wrote this. It just popped into my head. *shrugs***


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